1 2 3 >
Trailer and poster for Thai-Korean flick THE KICK

Prachya Pinkaew, the director behind movies like Ong Bak, Chocolate and The Protector is a busy man. The number of projects that have been announced with his name on them is pretty large. So anytime one of those projects moves from just being announced or talked about to actually putting out a trailer, poster and photos it's cause for celebration. His latest is called The Kick and it's a Thai and Korean co-production with stars from both countries.

Chocolate and Raging Phoenix star Jeeja (or Jija) Yanin teams up with Jo Jae-hyeon, who you may recognize from the Kim Ki-duk movies he's starred in like Bad Guy or The Isle for this martial arts, amazing stunts adventure pic. The trailer makes this look like a blast and we've got it for you below. Check it out and get ready. The film opens in Korea on November 3rd.

Synopsis: Taekwondo medalist, Master Moon (Jo Jae-Hyeon) has a family filled with talented individuals. His wife Yoon is a master in the kitchen. Their eldest child Tae-Yang (Na Tae-Joo) is a master of dance action. Their second child Tae-Mi (Tae-Mi) is a master of the high kick and their youngest child Tae-Poong is a master of the head-butt. They are a happy family. Master Moon runs a taekwondo studio in Bangkok. One day, the family happens to bump into the group Suk-Doo - who stole a legendary Thai sword and are on the run. Master Moon's family are able to capture the group. The family then becomes national heroes in Thailand. Trouble soon brews for the family when the Suk-Doo group kidnaps their youngest child Tae-Poong ...

Check out more pictures and a shorter teaser trailer at Han Cinema.

The UK sounds the DEATH BELL

Best news today for Brit fans of Asian horror. The hugely enjoyable Korean gorefest Death Bell (aka Gosa) is to get a U.K bow on DVD, through the newly created sub label of Terra distribution...aka Terror cotta. Death Bell was the 2008 feature debut of music video director ‘Chang’ and thankfully broke the mould on that somewhat tired - being light on long haired ghosts - formula and instead heads hell for leather into the splattery world of slash horror. Death Bell arrives on DVD October 10. Go check it out!

Synopsis: Students at an elite high school, preparing for mid-term exams, are held captive and forced into a series of sadistic games. The students find themselves plunged into a deadly test where they are picked off one by one and held in impenetrable traps where they must rely on the amazing intellects of their classmates to be released, every time a question is answered incorrectly, a classmate meets their torturous, grizzly death. When it emerges that the students are being picked off according to a pattern, pupil Kang Yi-na understands exactly how much time she has to stay alive and figure out the mysteries of who is imprisoning them and what is the ghostly presence that stalks the school and seems to bind them all together, before the Death Bell rings for her.

Look out America RA.ONE is coming

Let’s take a quick break from the Far East for a moment, and head a little further west, for some news on an OTT superhero spectacle. Eros International are planning to release the biggest budget Indian film in history - the FX laden RA.ONE - on an unsuspecting U.S audience next month. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, and featuring Bollywood superstars Shahrukh Khan, as Shekhar, a video game programmer whose games takes on a life of its own – creating the evil (drum roll please) Ra.One. The fun starts from October 26, 2011 and best of all there’s not a song and dance routine anywhere (welllll ok maybe one) in sight. Trailers and link to assorted high tech, high action campiness below.

Synopsis: A father trying hard to 'fit-in' in his Son's badass world. A son trying hard to 'dude-up' his dad from 'aiiiyyyo' to 'YO!' And a mother lost in translation between her husband's 'ingeva' and her son's 'Inn'it!' While Shekhar was trying every trick in the book to woo his son, get 'dude-ified' and 'up his coolness quotient' his son had given up on him.Just when the father-son duo hit a deadlock- Shekhar strikes gold when he designs one hell of a game. Finally it all starts falling in place......as the family comes together....only to find themselves in the middle of a crash......not just a hard drive crash but a crash that would drive them to a disaster and make their lives go – KABOOM!!! … all hell breaks loose when - the game that was meant to be played with… starts playing them…Ra.one- The next level.

Ra.One official site

 

Korean action flick WAR OF THE ARROWS hits tomorrow

Back in July, we brought you the trailer for the Korean period action film Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon and just this morning we found out that it has been retitled as War Of The Arrows and is set to be released in Los Angeles tomorrow and will expand to select U.S. and Canadian cities on October 7th. We've got the new, english subtitled trailer for you below.

The film is directed by Kim Han-min, the man behind Paradise Murdered and Hand Phone and stars Park Hae-il (Memories Of Murder, The Host). It was the top movie at the Korean box office for over 6 weeks and was also the opening film at the London Korean Movie Festival 2011.

Synopsis: Set in 1636, the second Manchurian invasion of Korea rages chaos, as villages are attacked by overpowering Manchurian soldiers. The Manchurians kidnap childhood sweethearts, Ja-in and Seo-Goon on their wedding day. In an effort to save his sister, Ja-in’s brother Nam-Yi sets out to defeat the enemy and save his sister and other Korean victims with only 1 bow.

Visit the Official Website for dates, locations and a lot more information.

 

ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN gets U.S. theatrical dates

You may not be too familiar with the name of director Jose Padilha right now, but chances are that will soon change. The man has been tapped for the upcoming remake of Robocop and now Variance Films has announced that they'll be releasing his latest (and greatest) film Elite Squad: The Enemy Within in U.S. theaters later this year, starting in New York on November 11th and expanding out from there.

The film is actually a sequel to 2007's Elite Squad, but if you haven't seen the first film don't worry. It's not going to be a problem (although we really liked that one, too). Elite Squad: The Enemy Within is Brazil's official submission for the academy awards Best Foreign Language Film this year and is the highest grossing film of all time in that country. It gets our highest possible recommendation. We attended a screening of the film at the Los Angeles Film Festival earlier this year and it was one of the best films we've seen so far in 2011. Highest possible recommendation.

Synopsis: Nascimento faces a new enemy: the militias. To hit upon the system that dominates the Rio de Janeiro, he discovers that the problem is much bigger than he thought. He needs to balance the challenge of pacifying a city occupied by the crime with constant worries about her teenage son. When the personal and professional universe of Colonel Nascimento meets, the result is explosive.

Check out the Official Website and Facebook page

Read the 24FPS review from LAFF

New clip from Takashi Miike’s HARA-KIRI

Its Takashi Miike...it’s about Samurai, and its going to be all kinds of awesome. What more do we really need to know? A new clip from his latest historical opus Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai has arrived. The movie opens in Japan next month on October 15th, and someone better damn well release it around these parts soon after. New clip below.

Synopsis: Seeking a noble end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit ritual suicide at the House of Ii, run by headstrong Kageyu. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro's demand, Kageyu recounts the tragic story of a similar recent plea from young ronin Motome. Hanshiro is shocked by the horrifying details of Motome's fate, but remains true to his decision to die with honor. At the moment of the hara-kiri, Hanshiro makes a last request to be assisted by Kageyu’s samurai, who are coincidentally absent. Suspicious and outraged, Kageyu demands an explanation. Hanshiro confesses his bond to Motome, and tells the bittersweet tale of their lives... Kageyu will soon realize that Hanshiro has set in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against his house.

Hara-Kiri clip

Hara-Kiri official site

ROBOTROPOLIS: DVD review

Director: Christopher Hatton. Review: Adam Wing.

While a group of reporters are covering the unveiling of a high-tech industrial facility run by robots, one of the machines short circuits and goes haywire. The TV crew are forced to fight for their lives, battling an army of Metal Mickey’s that are threatening to wipe out the whole of mankind. Christopher Hatton takes charge on this one, with Zoe Naylor (The Reef), Graham Sibley (Days Of Our Lives) and Edward Foy (Standard Action) doing their best to keep up with the ropey dialogue, dubious special effects and terrifying screenplay.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A team of TV news reporters are covering the story of a small town test facility where humans and robots live together in perfect harmony. A world in which man and machine co-exist, working together to build a better future. Whilst reporting on a live football game - with a robot playing alongside human teammates - one of the humans has an argument with the ‘bird’, which retaliates by shooting him dead. If only Match of the Day were this exciting...Continue review here.

Robotropolis trailer

Have you seen THE FADES?

Finally got around to watching the first episode of BBC 3’s supernatural horror series The Fades, and have to admit to be quietly impressed. Written by award-winning writer, Jack Thorne, Fades mixes some high end production values - with horror that only Brits know how to do - and throws in some darkly funny moments for good measure. Highly recommend you give it a watch. Episode 2 airs tomorrow on BBC3, at 9pm. For those in the U.S and Canada, keep your eyes open on BBC America listings; word is it’s due to air on there soon.

Synopsis: Paul, a young man who is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that neither his therapist or best friend, Mac, can provide answers for. Worse still, Paul is starting to see the Fades – the spirits of the dead – all around him. They're everywhere but they can't be seen, smelt, heard or touched by living beings. But now an embittered and vengeful Fade has found a way to break the barrier between the dead and the living and Paul, Mac and their friends and family are all right in the eye of the storm. But the most terrifying twist is yet to come – the fate of humanity rests in the hands of the two friends who already have enough trouble getting through a day in one piece, let alone saving the world.

The Fades official BBC sub site

Trailer, poster and stills for Kim Ki-Duk’s AMEN

Director Kim Ki-Duk is a busy man. His most recent release, the documentary Arirang, has been making the festival rounds this year and his newest feature film, Amen just debuted at the San Sebastian Film Festival and is getting ready for Busan now. We've got the trailer, poster and two stills for the film for you here, as well as the plot synopsis.

Keep your eyes on this one. Ki-Duk is one of the best of the many talented directors working in Korea right now and anytime a new film of his comes out, it's worth noting. Amen stars Kim Ye-na and does not yet have a release date set for Korea.

Synopsis: A woman goes to France in search for a man who she lost contact with, only to find that he has moved on to Venice. On her way to Venice, she faces a horrible incident in the train which makes her painfully question herself about life and relationships. And when she makes a frightening conclusion, the question becomes the share of the audiences.

High Resolution Poster -- Still #1 -- Still #2

 

Criterion bringing 2 Seijun Suzuki films to Blu-Ray in December

The Criterion Collection has done a fantastic job re-releasing some of their older titles as Blu-Rays with updated sound and image quality and their recently announced December release slate includes two more of particular interest to this site and our readers. Seijun Suzuki's masterful, insane 1960's gangster flicks Branded To Kill and Tokyo Drifter are finally getting the treatment. New high-definition digital restorations, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-Ray editions, as well as new english subtitle translations and new special features. These films are exactly the type that high definition picture quality was made for, and we're excited to get our hands on them when they come out on December 13th.

Branded To Kill: When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. Branded to Kill tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin (chipmunk-cheeked superstar Joe Shishido) with a fetish for sniffing boiled rice who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme—the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic.

Tokyo Drifter: In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Phoenix Tetsu’s attempt to go straight is squashed when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. This onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colors got director Seijun Suzuki in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who were put off by his anything-goes, in-your-face aesthetic, equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima. Tokyo Drifter is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties.

Pre-order Branded To Kill on Blu-Ray or DVD

Pre-order Tokyo Drifter on Blu-Ray or DVD

THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN in U.S. theaters now

Herman Yau's prequel to the excellent Ip Man films starring Donnie Yen is currently making its way through theaters in the U.S. The Legend Is Born: Ip Man focuses on the younger-day exploits of the real life Wing Chun grandmaster. This time, Yu-hang To plays the title chartacter, but many of the supporting case from the first movies returns, including Sammo Hung and Siu-wong Fan. Sammo and martial arts legend Yuen Biao have a fight scene (which is reason enough to want to see the movie) and 86-year-old Ip Chun, Ip Man's real life son, even makes an appearance. The film will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray by Funimation on December 13th.

Read the 24FPS review of the R2 DVD.

View the US poster in high resolution.

Check out the official website and the official Facebook page for more information and dates.

Pre-order the Blu-Ray or DVD from Amazon.

Fantasy action film BUNRAKU comes to UK DVD and Blu-Ray

Take a liberal hint of a Samurai movie, add a large dash of Western and action fantasy - mix it all together - and you’re sort of coming close to describing Guy Moshe’s eye popping (literally) Bunraku. Loaded with a stellar cast including Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Demi Moore and Ron Perlman, Bunraku is set for a limited release in the US this month, but those in UK will be able to get their hands on a copy sooner, as its heading for DVD and blu there on October 10.

Synopsis: A mysterious drifter (Hartnett) and an ardent young Japanese warrior Yoshi, (played by Gackt in his international film debut), both arrive in a town that is terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender (Harrelson) at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola (Perlman), the awesomely evil "woodcutter" and his lady Alexandra (Moore), a femme fatale with a secret past.

 

Bunraku official site

US trailer & official site for Jackie Chan’s 1911

Jackie’s gone all epic on us again, and the US is the latest territory his BIG budget historical action flick 1911 is heading for. We’ve got posters, pics and high def trailers galore to check out, and they’re all seen from the links. '1911' opens country wide on Oct 7, 2011, in the following cities; New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Denver, San Diego, Honolulu, Toronto (and last but not least) Vancouver.

Synopsis: At the beginning of the 20th century, China is in a state of crisis. The country is split into warring factions and people are starving. After 250 years of unquestioned power, the ruling Qing Dynasty, led by a seven-year-old emperor and his ruthless mother Empress Dowager Longyu (Joan Chen), has become completely out of touch. With the citizens beginning to revolt, the Qings are creating a powerful, modern army (the “New Army”) to quash any rebellion. But foreign weapons are expensive, and so the Qing leaders are trading away anything they can get their hands on to try and raise funds. China's future is being mortgaged away in exchange for guns. Huang Xing (Jackie Chan) has recently returned from Japan, where he has studied the art of modern warfare. When he finds his country falling apart, he feels he has no choice but to join the opposition, leading a series of violent rebellions against the powerful Qing Dynasty. As his plans begin to succeed, the Qings turn the might of the New Army towards him and his fellow revolutionaries. From the walls of the Forbidden City to the battlefields of China, with no expense spared in production and no detail ignored in its quest for historical accuracy, 1911 is a true epic in every sense of the word.

1911 official US site

1911 hi-res trailer

NINJA GIRL: DVD Review

Director: Seiji Chiba. Review: Adam Wing.

Limited locations, a blink and you’ll miss it screenplay, ninja assassins and mediocre action choreography – looks like Seiji Chiba’s back in town. With the exception of Alien Vs Ninja, which benefited from a ridiculous concept and hilarious rubber costumes, Seiji Chiba has done very little to suggest any kind of future in the world of filmmaking. His films rarely make it past the hour mark, and that’s one of the few positives to emerge from his sorry CV, but still he continues to churn out the same movie time and time again.

Ninja Girl is the latest ‘film’ from writer/director Seiji Chiba, and it has but one trick up its well-worn sleeve. That would be 19-year-old karate sensation-turned-actress Rina Takeda (Karate Girl; High-Kick Girl), an ass-kicking ninja on hand to deliver a blast of lukewarm martial arts action. As the fierce rivalry between the Iga and Kouga clan’s rages on, a pair of psychotic eunuch ninjas is tasked with abducting young women to serve as "tools of pleasure". Not that the girls are going to give in without a fight. Little do they realise that one of their latest victims is a kunoichi, a highly skilled female ninja with vengeance in mind...Continue reading review.

Official US trailer and release date for THE PACK

Franck Richard’s French creature feature La Meute aka 'The Pack' is set for a bow Stateside this month, and whilst it’s gone and got a U.S trailer of its very own, that is just about it. Don’t expect to be seeing it theatres anytime soon, as Indomina Releasing are only going down the VOD route for this one. So if you want to give it a watch and have the right box of wires, you can check it out on demand - on any of the following cable providers - from September 27th: Comcast • Time Warner • Cox Communication • Bright House Networks.

Synopsis: The Pack follows Charlotte (Emilie Dequenne), a beautiful but rough around the edges kind of girl, who drives a beat-up station wagon in the countryside of northern France. Her journey takes a turn when she picks up a mysterious hitchhiker (Benjamine Biolay), with whom she strikes an unusual bond. Stopping at a roadside diner, her new companion strangely disappears, and Charlotte finds herself knocked unconscious and held captive. She soon encounters a peculiar and disturbed woman (Yolande Moreau), and discovers that her blood is being used to feed a “pack” of flesh-eating ghouls.

 

Read our review of The Pack   

 

New teaser poster for 23:59 hrs

Just a quick update, further to our post a few days back. A new teaser poster for Singapore horror 23:59 hrs has hit the web. Check it out it larger at the link.

 

 

 

 

 

23:59 poster

Fantastic TV spot for RABBIT HORROR 3D

It’s just opened in Japan and by all accounts its heading our way soon, but the latest promo clip for Takashi Shimizu’s (‘The Grudge’) latest scare flick Rabbit Horror 3D (aka Tormented) takes a rather lighter approach to promoting a film, which is predominantly about delusion, betrayal and insanity.

Still...Made us laugh that’s for sure.

TORMENTED (aka Rabbit Horror 3D) centres on a young boy whose family seems to be unravelling around him. His sister is grappling with the reality of life or death, while his storybook illustrating father walks a line with insanity. The situation intensifies when the boy manifests a dangerous friendship with a stuffed toy rabbit that comes to life. Is he crazy or are they all delusional? Shimizu ventures once more into the terrifying corners of the mind where the lines between fact and fiction are blurred.

 

Rabbit Horror official site

Blockbuster live action Japanese sci-fi GANTZ on UK DVD

If you like your sci-fi; Japanese, action packed and more than a tad surreal - then look no further than Shinsuke Sato’s special effects-laden, live action makeover of Gantz, which is heading for UK DVD. Gantz will be released on DVD and Blu-ray (nice!) by Manga Entertainment on 3rd October 2011. Special Features include: The Making Of Gantz; interviews; teasers, and TV spots.

Synopsis: Teenage high school student Kei Kurono is waiting for a subway train home when he recognizes an old childhood friend Masaru Kato on the same platform. Suddenly, a drunken commuter falls on the tracks just as the station’s speaker system announces the approach of a non-stopping express train. Kato immediately goes to the man’s assistance but struggles to lift him to safety on his own. Reluctantly, Kurono joins him and they manage to save the man but are unable to get clear of the oncoming train, which hits them and kills them instantly. A split second later, Kurono and Kato find themselves in a bare room in an unfurnished apartment containing several strangers and a large, black spherical object. They quickly discover that all the people in the room have recently died and been instantly resurrected by the mysterious sphere. But their second chance at life comes at a price. To remain alive, those chosen must follow the sphere’s instructions in seeking out and destroying numerous bizarre alien life forms secretly inhabiting the earth. But what it the origin of the sphere, how is it able to restore life to the dead and what does it want?

Gantz official site

 

MAX NEPTUNE coming to a TV near you

More cheesy than a direct hit on a Dairylea factory, Colin Fleming and John Garside retro sci-fi homage to showreel Sci-fi - Max Neptune and the Menacing Squid is coming to a TV near you (if you’re in the US that is) soon. It goes to air on Shorts TV Channel, Sept 24th, 9pmPT/12amET, found on At&t U-verse, Direct TV and Dish Network. Be there, or be vaporized!

Synopsis: Earth has found itself in the crosshairs of a distant race of marauding space aliens! With the peace and security of the entire universe teetering on the edge of chaos, the United Planets rush their greatest leaders to an emergency summit on the Earth's Moon. They are our last great hope for intergalactic peace. When the evil Dr. Agotch unleashes his massive mechanical space squid upon the transport carrying those leaders, an innocent city, and the Atomic Space Patrol, could this be the end? With a galaxy in danger, a city in peril, and a damsel in distress… There is only one man who can save the day... Max Neptune!

 

Max Neptune teaser trailer

Max Neptune full trailer

Max Neptune official site

More chills from Singapore horror ‘23:59hrs’

Korea has a track record for military based horror flicks, but its still early days to see if Singapore’s latest frightener 23:59 hours comes close to being another ‘R-point,’ or ‘Guard Post 506. ’ That said the new full length trailer definitely looks like someone’s cranked up the dial marked “creepy,” and still has us more than intrigued to give it a watch - when it heads our way. '23:59' is set for release this October.

Synopsis: A rumour had been circulating like wild fire amongst the soldiers. A mad woman living on the island had died at the exact hour of 23:59, and it is believed that her spirit had returned to haunt the soldiers at the exact same time. One of the recruits, Tan, the introverted platoon outcast, is adamant that he will be the next victim of the mad woman's spirit. He tries to convince his buddy Jeremy that the woman's spirit has been visiting him every night. Jeremy laughs it off and claims that there are no such things as ghosts in this world. They only exist because of Tan's overactive imagination. However, during the 24 km road march for the platoon in the forest, Tan was found dead by the river, with his limbs contorted in a strange way and an expression of deep fear on his face. Overwhelmed with guilt, Jeremy decides to investigate Tan's death, convinced that it was not an accident as what the military officers believe. Little does he know that the truth behind Tan's death will unearth a terrible dark secret of the island and he will have to confront his deepest fears in order to find the truth?

Recent Entries